Buying a glass railing involves visualization, design finalization, engineering, fabrication, delivery, and installation, ensuring a seamless process for your project.
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How To Purchase Glass Railing
Purchasing a glass railing system for your new construction or renovation is an exciting experience. Envisioning your project coming to life is thrilling, but you may have questions: How do you buy it? Can it be shipped? Is DIY installation possible? And how long does the entire process take? These are all important considerations.
Buying a glass railing can be complex, but we’ve simplified it into five key steps: Visualization, Engineering, Fabrication, Delivery & Installation, and Living. Below, we’ll explain everything you need to know to purchase your glass railing system and maximize its value.
Quick Points
- Visualization: 2 Days
- Engineering: 3 Days
- Fabrication: 11 Days
- Receiving: 1-5 Days
- Installation: 1-5 Days
Visualization (2 Days)
The process of buying a glass railing begins with your vision. Whether you have a detailed drawing or need inspiration, we’re here to help. Share your sketches, plans, or pictures with us, and within 24 hours, we’ll provide a 2D and 3D rendering of your project, a pricing estimate, and a consultation with one of our glass experts to review your design. No matter how simple or complex your project is, we’ve got you covered.
Seeing your project in 3D can truly make a difference. You might decide to switch from a post-to-post system to a standoff pin system, like the one pictured above. There’s no rush—our designers are happy to show you various options and help you make the best decision for your project. You can also preview your project with different cap rail types and finish colors to ensure you know exactly what to expect.
Once you’ve finalized your design, a Bellointeriors project coordinator will confirm all measurements before proceeding to engineering. Accurate measurements are crucial, but the project coordinator will guide you through the process to ensure everything is precise.
Engineering (3 Days)
Once the design is finalized and we have the necessary measurements, our team of engineers will get to work. They ensure that they account for the entire environment in which your glass railing will be installed.
In the layout drawing, our engineers provide details on where all of your mounting structures (posts, glass pins, baserail, talon spigots, etc.) and glass panels will be installed. This drawing takes into account any existing environmental concerns shown in the environmental drawing and serves as a precise model for installing all materials. See below for a sample of what an engineered layout drawing looks like.
To save time during this step, ensure that all measurements provided are accurate. Occasionally, there may be some back-and-forth, but you can help speed things up by responding quickly and communicating with your project coordinator. Once you confirm that the engineering drawings align with your project, engineering is complete, and we move on to fabrication.
Fabrication (11 Days)
This stage is where everything comes to life. There’s nothing for you to do during this time except prepare your job site. Your project coordinator will guide you on how to get ready for the arrival and installation of your glass railing. They will stay in touch throughout this phase, updating you on production schedules and informing you of potential delays or accelerations.
Receiving (1-5 Days) & Installation (1-5 Days)
Your glass panels will arrive at the job site in a secure, horizontal shipping container designed to minimize movement and prevent cracks or breaks. Each glass panel will be numbered to match the numbers on your layout drawings, ensuring a smooth installation process.
All mounting hardware will be individually packaged with a number corresponding to your layout drawing, just like the glass panels. This simplifies organizing materials on-site, helping you jump into installation quickly. Installation instructions will accompany your order.
While each mounting system has its specific instructions, a general rule is to budget 1 person hour per glass panel. For example, a team of 3 installing 15 glass panels will take about 5 hours total.
Living
Congratulations! Once your glass railing is installed, you’ll enjoy the stunning views it creates. Here are some tips to help you maintain it:
- Use a microfiber material and cleaning solution typically used for glass windows. A little solution goes a long way.
- Clean interior glass railings as often as you dust your home and exterior glass as needed.
- Consider using a pressure washer in spring to remove accumulated grime in cooler climates. Start at low pressure and increase slowly. After pressure washing, wipe down with a microfiber cloth and cleaning solution.
